Witch Next Door
by Yemi Hikari
Summary: A girl moves in next door to the Dursley's prior to Harry Potter's first year. Many romance novel that Aaralyn has read about a boy and girl next door ends with them falling in love. She finds herself crushing on Harry. However... Possible AR/AU


_Disclaimer – I do not own Harry Potter. This fanfic contains AU/AR material due to the addition of a character to the Harry Potter storyline. We'll just have to wait and see how far things change._

**Witch Next Door  
~ The Boys Next Door~**

The small car drove into small town of Little Whinging, boxes tied to the top of the car. As the old car drove along the boxes bounced slightly, threatening to suddenly slip through the ties. Aaralyn Rabanal watched from the back seat of her parents car, her eyes peeking at the level of the window as her parents' car turned onto Privet Drive.

The young girl's blue eyes quickly took in all of the houses that were passing by. All of them looked the same to her young mind, no true apparent differences. Her father pulled into the drive of number six, stopping the car hard. There was a motion from the front and a loud thump as one of the smaller items fell forward and landed on the hood of the car.

Aaralyn felt herself jump her eyes turning suddenly towards the front end. Her mouth opened up. "What happened?"

"Something came lose," her father stated.

Her mother turned up her nose a bit. "I told you it wouldn't hold."

"And I told you it would hold until we got here," the man laughed, his brown mustache and gotee bobbing slightly.

"You get a new job, we move to a new place and you still can't be serious?" the woman asked firmly. "This is a chance for us to have a fresh start. No one knows us here."

At that, Aaralyn grabbed the door handle and popped her door open, quickly getting out. She stepped out of the car, shutting the door. She quickly moved in a circle around the car, only to have her mother open her own door to stop her, prior to her getting back to her passenger side door. She glanced up at her mother's stern face.

"Little girl's shouldn't be running around," the woman grumbled. "The movers will be here soon."

At that, her father stepped out and simply headed for the front door, unlocking it as he did so. "You'll love your new primary school."

The small girl curled up her lip a bit. "It's near the end of the school year... I shan't be able to make friends again."

"I am sorry pumpkin, but we had to move," Mr. Rabanal said as the door clicked open. The small girl glanced back at her mother, before sliding through the doorway. She glanced around the empty house, her lip pouting with frustration. As soon as she saw the stairs, she hurried up them. She hurried back to the stairs and opened her mouth. "Which room is going to be mine?"

"The door to your right as you go up the stairs," came her mother's voice a few minutes later. The woman started up the stairs before saying anything. "No yelling in the house."

At that, the small girl hurried to her window and opened it with relish. Aarylyn stuck her head out, and saw a dark haired boy around her age or a couple of years younger working in the garden, sweeping debris from the stone path. A smile spread on her face at the thought of having someone living next door. "Hello!"

Her mother came suddenly from behind her and pulled hard on the back of her daughters dress. "Inside, now..." the woman hissed. "That is not proper behavior for a young lady."

At that, Aarylyn let out half of a deep sigh, stopping as soon as she saw her mother's stern face. It was time to back down.

**M**

The person who did nearly all the chores around the Dursley house happened to be their nephew, Harry Potter. The exception to the rule lay in his Aunt Petunia's flower gardens. To her, that wasn't a chor, but a thing of pride, something her horrid nephew would ruin if touched. Despite this, she would still have him sweep up the stone path out back as this was something he definitely could not mess up.

As he swept away, he suddenly heard a voice coming from the house to the south. Glancing up, he thought he saw someone in the window. The image he possibly saw only lasted for a few minutes, so he personally had his own doubts that someone had been there. The house had been vacant since the little old lady next door passed away.

The little old lady had been one of the few neighbors that his cousin had gotten along with. The reason for this was the fact that she made some of the best sweets anyone had ever tasted. Dudley wormed up to her simply to get the treats she handed out. Of course, Harry had simply heard about the treats being the best as Petunia had made it clear that her nephew was from bad seed.

He continued sweeping, paying heed to what he was doing in order to make sure it was to his aunt's standards. As he finished up, he heard what sounded to be a rather large truck pull up out front. He walked to the house and stepped in through the door. He set the broom beside the door before dusting off his feet. He then walked to the front door and peered outside in time to see his aunt peeking over the hedge at number six.

The next thing she knew, she was hurrying inside. Harry headed towards the hall in time to show up in front of her eyes. "Why aren't you out back sweeping?"

"I heard something out front," the boy stated firmly. "I went to go see what was going on."

"It really isn't your business," the woman stated, her face rather flushed. "But just so you know, we have new neighbors next door." At that, she bustled over to the kitchen and there were sounds of her digging things out of the cupboards. Harry peeked around the corner to see what his aunt was up too. She glanced up. "Well, just don't stand there. Hand me the cocoa and flour."

The boy complied and set the items on the counter, before continuing to take orders from his aunt as she made the chocolate cookies. The kitchen quickly filled with good smells. As Petunia pulled them out of the oven, Dudley came in, his nose having the ability to tell when food was finally ready to eat. His hand reached out to grab one of the cookies. However, Petunia slapped it away quickly. "Harry will put in another batch while we go over to greet them."

Dudley made a face at this, however quickly followed on his mother's footsteps while Harry stayed in the kitchen. She made quick steps out the door, Dudley's nose causing him to follow in her footsteps. The round boy had a rather miffed look on his face and a soft whine came from his throat. However, this quickly stopped when they came to the door of the neighbors house and he simply began to pick his nose.

The door was opened wide and a woman peered out watching the movers. Behind her a girl with bright blue eyes also peered forth. Dudley's piggy eyes narrowed as he took in the girl's thin brown hair. However, as usual Petunia payed her darling angel no mind. "Hello. I am Petunia Dursley from next door. I brought a welcome gift for you and your family. I hope no one is allergic to chocolate."

"Thank you," the woman stated, taking the plate of cookies from the woman.

"Do you live at number eight?" the ten year old girl suddenly ask.

"No, I actually live at number four" Petunia stated firmly.

"I saw a boy in your backyard earlier and he isn't with you," the girl stated.

This caused the woman's jaw to drop open and suddenly push her daughter behind her. "I apologize for my daughters rude behavior. If you don't mind, I'll speak to you later."

"Completely understood," Petunia stated, grabbing Dudley's shoulders and guiding him back home.

**M**

The movers having arrived soon after the Rabanal family started moving furniture quickly. Ms. Rabanal stood to the side, letting out a sniff as if she had a cold. However, her daughter knew other wise. She also knew to simply stay out of the way. By the time the movers were nearly finished, her mother moved almost as if she was startled.

Stepping forward, she moved to the door. She said nothing at all. The young girl moved to behind her mother. She saw a blond haired woman with a blond haired boy standing there. The woman held out a plate of cookies in her hands. There was a rather round boy behind her, slowly picking his nose, his eyes narrowed at the two.

"Hello. I am Petunia Dursley from next door. I brought a welcome gift for you and your family. I hope no one is allergic to chocolate," the woman stated, a huge smile on her face. Aarylyn glanced up at her mother, noticing that her mother's eyes remained locked on the woman, not looking down at the boy behind the woman.

After her mom simply thanked the woman, taking the cookies, the small girl spoke up. "Do you live at number eight?"

"No, I actually live at number four." The preteen could swear the woman smelled something bad, the way her face twisted up.

The girl ignored the face and simply remained perky. "I saw a boy in your backyard earlier and he isn't with you." At that, her mother suddenly pushed her back. Aarylyn could hear her mother apologizing. She then felt her ear grabbed and she found herself dragged into the kitchen.

"What do you think you were doing?" the woman stated, her face making it clear that she was miffed.

"I thought I might make friends with that boy I saw," her daughter replied, her tone clearly stating she was not happy at being lectured. Particularly since she hadn't a clue what she was doing wrong in the first place.

"Why not make friends with that young man that was with his mother?" the woman stated.

"You mean the piggy picking his nose?" the girl stated, letting out a sigh.

"Piggy? Piggy!" the woman snapped out. "Don't let me hear you say that again! I won't ruin this chance to have a normal life!"

"But he really was picking his nose!" Aarylyn bubbled out, her small face twisting in irritation. "That's gross!"

"I did _not _see him picking his nose!" her mother yelled. "Just... just go to your room. Now!" The preteens mouth twisted up in a frown, and then she hurried off, only to hear her mother yell something about not running in the halls.

**M**

Her room was filled with box after box. Despite the furniture being in the room, her bed was not made. Not to mention her small bookshelf was empty. She walked over to the one box labeled books, only to find it already open. She opened it up and grabbed a book from the top, then went and pounced onto the top of her mattress.

She found herself becoming more and more into the book. She read for about an hour or two, only having progressed a couple of pages when she heard a knock on the door frame. She glanced up to see her father. "I see you're reading. Why don't you try something like Oliver Twist, instead of that?"

"Mum only cares so long as I read," the girl stated firmly.

"Your mum hasn't even looked at any of your books," the man sighed, going to sit next to his daughter.

"Is he going to have a room?" Aarylyn asked, not daring to look up.

"I think your mum is going to keep his stuff packed," Mr. Rabanal's tone had an emptyness to it.

"Mum isn't very fair. I just wanted a chance to make a friend with the kid I saw next door," the girl stated. "We move so much, I never get a chance."

"I promise... no more moving," the man stated.

"Mum always says otherwise. She always... I don't know..." the girl stated. "She acts weird, and then we move. She starts acting somewhat normal, then she doesn't anymore."

"So... what do you get out of those books of yours?" Her father was quick to change the subject.

"I don't get your question. Why read to get something out of it?" the girl frowned at this.

"Let me rephrase my question," the man sighed. "What do you like about those books?"

"I like the fact that the girl always gets the guy! I particularly like the ones where the girl is plain, ordinary, yet this guy all the girls fancy chooses her." Aarylyn went on to tell about how there were different types of novels that she read. Most of them had a fantastical edge to them, but all of them dealt with a girl getting her dream guy.

When she finally took a break, the man spoke up. "Are you sure you should be reading that? It doesn't seem healthy... thinking that you'll fall instantly in love at first site. Particularly since you are a bit... young."

"Mum has no problem, plus... I thought all the other girls were into things like this," the girl stated.

"I also think your mother would have a fit if she knew what you were reading," the man sighed. "I'll pull some linen for your bed, so please get to bed soon. You start at a new school tomorrow."

_Author's note – This fanfic is inspired by a fanfic I found via the Mary Sue archive on Pottersues. The fanfic is called 'Harry's New Love' and was written by Potter Pisces315, written prior to May of 2003. The fanfic author is one of those who happens to have given up sadly. This fanfic is dedicated to her._

_On another note, I have am hosting a contest for Halloween 2010 open to all fandoms. Please see my profile for a link for more details. Also, be patient with me updating. I have many a project. I need something other then just fanfics for the Bleach fandom to write though. :)_

09/30/10 _- Thanks to my first reviewer, I found out I messed up on the house numbers. That is now fixed as is another minor error. :)_


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